Dilemna - made to order "cure factor"

[girlyracer]

Hi everyone

Tried running a search on this but couldn't find any answers.

I'm looking to make my soy candles to order, rather than making them in advance. For those of you who also make them to order, how do you deal with the "cure factor"? If most soy takes 2 weeks to cure properly, do you put a do not burn till date on the candle for the customer?

I have visions of customers ordering soy candles, getting them maybe 3 or 4 days after being made and then moaning that they don't smell.

I know in the US people are more aware of soy, but here in the UK and Europe soy candles are still unheard of. I know that it is up to us to educate the candle burning public out there but sometimes they can be fickle and unforgiving.

Ruby

[tangerine]

IMO, 2 weeks is too long to wait for a candle to cure. I wait a maximum of 4 days.

[Scented]

Well outside of that, why not have a small stock built up of popular scents so no one has to wait, except on you should you sell out.

[Brat]

Just my opinion, I don't sell by any means, but I think I would not let them leave the shop until the cure time you've chosen has passed. Maybe sell them and say you'll deliver or send or they could pick up the order on whatever date they'd be ready. Not sure how willing customers would be to do this, but if it's not ready, it's not ready!

[Wildheart75]

I know alot of people here cure their candles but I don't. I make both parrafin and soy and also para/soy blends. I gave a co worker a few different soy containers the day after I poured, I couldn't smell them very well but she could. When she lit them that night she said she could smell them all throughout her house and was very pleased with them. Her hubby which also works with us said it drives him nuts when she burns my candles cuz he swears she is cooking something and makes him hungry, lol. Everyone I give them to says the same thing, even my husband who has no qualms about telling me if he doesnt like a candle or a specific FO, etc.

[Carriegsxr6]

I know exactly what you mean about cure time and wanting to make them fresh to order. 100% soy candles really do need those 2 weeks for best throw. So what I do is tell them since they are made to order, it will take 3-4 days before they can ship to ensure they set up enough. It will probably take another couple of days for the mail to reach them, by the time they receive their candle it would have already cured for almost a week. Then I put instructions in there telingl them they should wait a week after receiving their candle to burn it in order to get the best fragrance throw.

If I make it for someone in my area that doesn’t need shipping, I tell them it will take 5-6 days to make and then they need to wait a week before burning it. I find most people have been okay with this and are able to wait the week before burning, I think if they had it the next day they would be too tempted to wait an entire 2 weeks before burning.

[CareBear]

sneaky.... (smart)

[girlyracer]

I can see that this is going to be a case of personal preference. Carrie, your idea is quite a good one. If it's going to take almost a week to get the candle to the end user, then that could be enough curing time.

This is something that I'll have to test for. If I can get away with a 7day cure then this will work out better than waiting the whole 14 days.

Thanks for your replies they were greatly appreciated.

Ruby

[stacien]

I don't know who came up with exactly two weeks. That is probably why nothing can legitimately be found about it. I think a couple of days for the wax to settle, because you are taking a solid and making it a liquid and then making a solid again. People tend to be more impressed with made to order because you are doing it just for them. Otherwise why even advertise hand made? So don't stress over it. If you use a good wax with a good FO then nobody will tell the difference but a chandler. As I say we tend to be our own worse critics. We actually tend to be more perfectionists about our candles then the big companies. I have some pretty lousy Yankme's to prove it.

[Gretchen]

Do they smell better after two weeks? Sure they do! Do I wait to ship or deliver? Nope. Never had a complaint. Never. I deliver to many of my accounts, and although I do pour ahead, often I have to pour at least one scent to fill the order. Just pour & ship.